GDayX Manila - Engaging, Informative, and Fulfilling

by Erwin Dennis Umali | BS Computer Science | 2010 - 23119

From the perspective of a student -- especially one who delves mostly on the technical aspect of things -- going to a business-oriented event felt a bit off to me. However, since the event featured using technology for your business, and since it had a big tech name on it (Google!), I signed up as soon as I heard about the event.

I was able to attend the final hours of GDayX, from 3pm till closing. This meant that, sadly, I won't be able to give my impressions on the event as a whole. Still, though, I unexpectedly enjoyed the last 2 hours or so of the event. From the very affable staff, the ambiance of the location, the high quality talks, even to the generosity of the prizes and quirk of the games -- everything felt very sophisticated and engaging.

I was able to attend the last three talks, which dealt with using Google for business and education, as well as what the local Google developer scene looks like at present.

Google+ for Business

(Johnn Mendoza, GBG Cebu)

Mr. Johnn Mendoza from GBG Cebu tackled using Google+ and its services to help your business. His topics sounded very contemporary to me -- you don't need print ads or media to advertise! Using Google services right can deliver the same marketing returns with much less cost! He used his own small hotel business in Cebu as an example, and showed how its success was based on 80% online marketing. He used Google+, Google Search, and Google Maps to make his business visible online, and it has proved successful in making his hotel at near-full capacity.

This topic was definitely one of the most interesting for me. While I wanted to catch the Google Analytics talk first, I was piqued nonetheless by the use of G+ for business. I thought of G+ as mainly 'the other Facebook' (a monicker Sir Johnn actually tackled), and seeing how it can boost marketing to the point of tangible gains was eye-opening for me. Not only was I mildly surprised of G+'s efficacy in business, I honestly thought that local businesses would not benefit that much from online marketing. I thought of the general PH market as one who still largely relies on traditional forms of advertising, and that things like what Sir Johnn was talking about weren't very relevant to us today. I was wrong about this, apparently, as Sir Johnn showed first hand how G+, Search, and Maps helped him out a lot. For the many attendees, I bet this was just as eye-opening to them as it was for me. As a soon-to-be software developer, this encourages me to try and develop for the local market. I saw how businesses can thrive locally online, and how they can try to be resilient and use innovative and contemporary channels for publicizing. This talk left me with a sense of hope -- I feel that online trends for business is at a climb in the Philippines, and this talk solidifies that feeling well.

Google in Education

(Jerome Locson, Google)

Mr. Jerome Locson from Google shared insights on Google projects that are being developed for the education sector. He detailed several endeavors: lofty projects such as Project Loon; the ambitious Chromebook; Google Apps for Education packages being offered to universities and educational units nationwide. Sir Jerome detailed how the software giant plans to extend its educational aid to many developing territories, including the Philippines.

As a student, this was what probably resonated with me the most. I was aware of how Google Apps was recently integrated into our UPD Webmail recently, and hearing it from Sir Jerome enlightened me on Google's broader visions on how to aid education as a whole.

Still, though, I can't help but get a bit weary on the sustainability of some of their projects. For instance, will the Philippines be ready for an always-online, in-the-cloud Chromebook? Just how sustainable will their Google Apps for Education program be, if it includes an Internet bandwidth grant (taking into account how unscrupulous and imbalanced our Internet providers currently are)? These questions linger in my mind as the talk winds up, and to be honest, I don't think a single, solid answer for each of these will be around anytime soon.

The Google Developer Groups and Locally-produced Apps You Can Use

(Celine Barrozo and Jomar Tigcal, GDG Philippines)

From a developer and computer scientist student's standpoint, this short talk was probably what hit home the most for me. Ms. Celine Barrozo and Mr. Jomar Tigcal were both from the Google Developers Group, and they talked about the nature of the group, how it mirrors the Google Business Group (the organizers of GDayX), and what locally-made apps and services are available for business and productivity.

I was already aware of the existence of the Google Developer Groups, but I've always felt that their group was something I might not be qualified to participate in, at least for the next few years. Seeing and hearing them in this event, however, made me feel more comfortable about them. Knowing they also held lots of events for developers was a nice thing to know as well. They would be able to reach out to more people, make better software, and contribute more directly to the local community.

The context of developing locally-made apps also piqued my interest. I've oftentimes been bothered by how so many software developers end up working for other foreign companies, some to the point of completely migrating out of the nation. While I don't want to judge these kinds of decisions, the fact that only few talent remain in the Philippines is still an issue that plagues many professions, with the software development sector included. Brain drain of this level is alarming no matter how you put it. While I want to stress that this is mainly our government's job, I feel that organizations such as the GDG will help substantially in encouraging local talent to produce more for themselves. This talk reminded me yet again of the need to prevent staggering national brain drain, but, nonetheless, it left me with a hint of optimism -- there's still time, and the small but sure steps taken by GDG and GBG provide some reassurance.

Conclusion

Overall, the event was an enjoyable one for me. Coming from a technical background, I was able to appreciate how the technology that developers create are introduced and used in business.

The event itself, too, was enjoyable. Event handling was top notch for an organizer that is primarily volunteer-driven. There were lots of freebies and quirks to keep everyone at attention and pleased. Attendees who gave back review forms regarding the event were also given a free GDaysX shirt, which was certainly a win-win situation. And all this was for the grand price of free.

GDayX was a satisfying, informative, and eye-opening event, and definitely delivered on its promise of catering even to students or non-business or non-marketing people. From my standpoint, I saw first hand how technologies from Google can be used to boost your business, and how these tech can even help education, visibility, and productivity. It was enamoring to see how technology can help local businesses grow and compete using different, contemporary marketing channels. To see technologically-minded people helping out others from all walks of life for business and networking -- it was an experience to behold.

I'll definitely consider attending events from the GBG the next time around.